TheNewsGuru

Tag: Candidate

  • PDP state assembly candidate defect to APC in Zamfara

    PDP state assembly candidate defect to APC in Zamfara

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Zamfara House of Assembly candidate for Talata Mafara North Constituency, Umar Yahaya had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    This is contained in a statement issued in Gusau on Friday by the State APC Publicity Secretary, Malam Yusuf Idris.

    Recall that Yahaya’s defection came five days after PDP State Assembly candidate for Gusau 2 Constituency, Alhaji Ibrahim Mada also defected to APC.

    Idris said the Yahaya was received by Gov. Bello Matawalle and State APC Chairman, Alhaji Tukur Danfulani.

    “The PDP State Assembly candidate for Talata Mafara North Constituency, Umar Yahaya has also joined the wave of political tsunami sweeping off  PDP in Zamfara.

    “Yahaya said he took the decision to abandon his candidature under the PDP to join the APC because of the alleged crisis rocking his former party at national and the state levels.

    “He said that the PDP leadership in the state is too dictatorial and not respecting the opinion and interest of members”, Idris said.

    Idris quoted,  Yahaya as informing Matawalle, ”PDP is not accessible even to top party leaders in the state no matter the situation

    “A lot of PDP members will soon come and join the APC.”

    In his remarks,  Matawalle commended Yahaya’s courage to abandon his candidature and join the progressive party in the state.

    Matawalle said that APC was a party that accommodates all its members and assured him of equal opportunity with other members.

    The governor urged him to enlighten other members of his former party, PDP on the importance of joining hands in moving Zamfara forward.

    “My administration has done a lot in terms of security, infrastructure development, job creation, and inclusive governance”, Matawalle added.

  • APC lucky to have salable presidential candidate – Ex-minister

    APC lucky to have salable presidential candidate – Ex-minister

    The former Minister of Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, said on Saturday that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was very lucky to have a salable Presidential flagbearer for the 2023 election.

    Shittu, who is the Director-General of Asiwaju Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation (ATPCO), made the statement at the inauguration of ‘Jagaban/Shettima Local Government Voluntary Representatives Forum’ and its First National Meeting, held in Abuja.

    He said that the emergence of Tinubu as the presidential candidate of APC was the best thing that happened to the party in view of the current challenges bedeviling the country.

    Shittu said that the performances of Tinubu when he was the Lagos State Governor were enough testimony to convince Nigerians that ”he is the best candidate for presidency.”

    According to him, before Tinubu became the Lagos State Governor in 1999, the Internally Generated Revenue of the state was N700 million per month and within two years he turned it to N50 billion monthly.

    He also said that Tinubu introduced compulsory free primary and secondary education in Lagos, including payment of West Africa Examination Council and National Examination Council for all residents of Lagos, irrespective of ethic nationality without discrimination.

    ” I told a lot of our leaders that we are very lucky in All Progressives Congress (APC), because, we have a salable candidate.

    ” We are lucky, we have a salable candidate, as Director-General of Tinubu Campaign Organisation, I am excited by the enormous support that people are giving to Tinubu all over the country.

    ” More often than not, people struggle to belong as if the struggle is for ticket to go to paradise,” he said.

  • Peter Obi supporters threatened to burn down shrine, deal with me – Femi Kuti

    Peter Obi supporters threatened to burn down shrine, deal with me – Femi Kuti

     

    Top Afro beat musician Femi Kuti in a recent Instagram video post has addressed supporters of Labour Party (LP)’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who have been on his case.

    Kuti disclosed that he got tons of threats against his family members and the supporters equally threatened to burn the Afrikan Shrine, simply because he allegedly tagged them as ‘zombies’.

    The musician made it clear that all he did was come out to distance himself from the ‘obedient’ tag and give a clear context of what he meant.

    I’m too angry, I’m too sad and depressed to be ‘obedient’. How can anyone come up with that term? How can you be obedient? Me I can’t be obedient in this country. End SARS, Killings…,” Kuti explained.

    According to him, being obedient simply means being told what to do without putting up any restraints. Kuti added that he equally mentioned the relationship between Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Obi, and how they would have remained close pals if things panned out the way they wanted.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) recalls the legendary afro beat musician had almost immediately cleared the air stating that he was quoted out of context.

  • Buhari has preferred candidate to replace him in 2023 – Presidency

    Buhari has preferred candidate to replace him in 2023 – Presidency

    The Presidency has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari has a preferred candidate to succeed him in 2023.

    Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Buhari has a preferred candidate but would not disclose it.

    Adesina disclosed this on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

    According to Adesina: “In a previous interview, when the President was asked whether he had a favourite candidate, he answered yes; but he will not mention him because mischief may happen to that person.

    “That shows you that the President himself is interested in the process, and he has a preferred candidate, but whether he will impose his candidate is what you can not determine at the moment.”

    Recently, Buhari had disclosed that he would not reveal his preferred candidate for the 2023 Presidency.

    The President had said his preferred candidate might be assassinated if he revealed the person.

  • 2023 election: Atiku my presidential candidate, not Tinubu -Mr Ibu declares

    2023 election: Atiku my presidential candidate, not Tinubu -Mr Ibu declares

    Days back, Nigerian comic actor, John Okafor better known as Mr Ibu by his fans was reported to have thrown his weight behind the All Progressives Congress leader, Bola Tinubu, in his quest to become the next president of Nigeria in 2023 presidential election.

    In a viral video, the funny role interpreter was seen alongside other Nollywood actors ‘pledging alliance’ to the APC leader.

    However, in a twist of event, the actor took to his verified Instagram page to make a video to clear the air. Reacting to the viral video, Mr Ibu said, “I do not know why this thing is going on like this.”

    Mr Ibu said that Atiku has been like a father to him and the former Vice-President got him a house to ‘use for the main time’. Okafor noted that his presidential candidate in the 2023 election is Atiku Abubakar.

    Part of his speech in the video stated, “People approached me about Tinubu’s involvement to contest for the next president of Nigeria. I am a completely independent person; in the area that I perform, I am a comedian, musician and actor. Anything that has to do with anybody, people come to me and I address me in that direction. I know what to do.

    “I do not know why this thing is going on like this. From time, I will never run sideways. It has been me and Atiku all this while, he has taken me places. If Atiku is running for president, certainly, because he has done a lot of things for me; there was a time he changed my house. He is like a father to me. He is contesting for president under PDP, certainly, I will be working for him. Atiku is my candidate.”

     

  • Edo 2020: Candidates on march to Osadebey Avenue, By Ehichioya Ezomon

    By Ehichioya Ezomon
    Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), barely one-week old as the main opposition party in Edo State, have elected Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the candidate in the September 19 governorship election.
    The “direct primaries” held after APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) rejected Governor Godwin Obaseki’s craving as an “unopposed” candidate or be subjected to “indirect primaries.”
    Disqualified from the June 22 primaries by the NWC, headed by then APC’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Obaseki joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and was returned as its “unopposed” candidate on June 25.
    But this was before Obaseki left the Edo chapter, and its national headquarters in Abuja in chaos, as his alleged supporter and “former” Deputy National Secretary, Victor Giadom, took over the secretariat and declared himself the acting chair.
    It’s unprecedented, and against the succession order in the APC constitution. Ironically, the reported “court-empowered” Giadom, called an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) for Thursday, June 25, and fixed it at the Presidential Villa, Nigeria’s seat of power.
    As the saying goes in my Esanland of Edo State: “When the dove is dancing in the street, you should realise that there’s something elsewhere beating the drum for it.
    Thus, Giadom’s action indicated acting a script by the presidency, which later, confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari had accepted the meeting, and would grace the occasion.
    Surely, the president presided over the meeting attended, among others, by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the APC leadership of the National Assembly and Governors on the platform.
    And as speculated in the media, the NEC, the second highest organ of the APC, took far-reaching decisions, some with “immediate effect.” They include:
    * Dissolution of the NWC * Setting up a Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Committee, to run for six months * Ratification of Pastor Ize-Iyamu as the elected candidate for the Edo poll * Fixing of Ondo chapter’s primaries for July 20 * Presidential directive for withdrawal of lawsuits relating to electoral processes in the APC.
    The committee, led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, mandated to reconcile the party, has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to introduce itself, and intimate it of the APC decisions on Edo and Ondo primaries.
    The Ondo chapter of the APC, like its Edo counterpart, is factionalized, with its heavyweights flexing muscles against the second-term bid of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
    The division has resulted in the Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, defecting to the PDP, to realize his aspiration to be governor he felt he couldn’t get in the APC “controlled” by the governor.
    Peace in the troublous Edo chapter is far from over; hence the big players that stood aloof or fanned the discord, should pick up the pieces that the Obaseki/Oshiomhole feud have caused.
    The APC should worry about losing Edo it had ruled till Obaseki defected to the PDP that he once labelled “looters of Edo State’s treasury.” Yet, he’s flying its flag in the September poll.
    Obaseki reasons for defecting are in the public domain, but the coming election is shaping up as in 2016: a straight fight between him and Ize-Iyamu, then of the PDP.
    The battle is also similar to 2007’s, when APC (formerly Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress (AC) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) fielded Oshiomhole, former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), against PDP’s Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor.
    Though INEC declared Osunbor the winner, the Courts reversed the declaration, and in 2008, Oshiomhole reclaimed his “stolen mandate.” The APC was in power until Friday, June 19, when Obaseki defected, after his disqualification from APC’s primaries.
    Now unencumbered (he had alleged being hamstrung in APC), Obaseki is challenging his embattled political godfather to a “mud-fight between elephants.”
    Recall it hasn’t been a “walk in the park” for the APC to defeat the PDP in those years – 2012 and 2016. It would have been herculean for the APC, battling internal crisis, to win the September poll under Obaseki. But having decamped, he appears formidable!
    He’s the governor. He “seized” APC’s structures, to join those of the PDP. He moved with majority of elected and appointed APC officials, and members that matter in elections.
    Importantly, he moved with Edo’s purse from which he’s certain to disburse for the electoral processes: from “smoothening his way” to the PDP, and scaling all hurdles to pick the ticket.
    Perhaps, the “real” victory for Obaseki before the September 19 showdown is securing the ticket, aided by last-minute withdrawal by muscles-flexing aspirants of their desire to be governor.
    So, on paper, and the frenzy his departure from the APC has generated, Obaseki is the candidate to beat. But the unforeseen could upset calculations the PDP places so much store.
    The APC, temporarily weighed down by majorly self-inflicted injuries, could recover in time to match the PDP currently awash with cash, followers and sympathisers.
    The tide could change easily with the least of “unforced errors” by either Obaseki or the PDP stalwarts he’s pinning his hopes of “disgracing” his traducers in the APC, mostly Oshiomhole.
    The APC could get unexpected traction from several avenues: Cash flow. Decamping from dissatisfied PDP members. There could be “moles” in the PDP leaking strategic plans by the party to finally “take our mandate back” via the ballot box.
    Above all, the APC could bounce back with the instrumentality of “Federal might” in all ramifications. Needless naming them! The PDP has always alleged “rigged elections” even where it won.
    Indeed, the PDP Governors’ Forum, headed by Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, has subtly kicked-off such “interference in elections” by agents of government, “to aid the APC.”
    In a congratulatory message to Obaseki, the Forum warned: “We admonish all organs of state, such as the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission, to ensure a free and fair election in Edo state in September.
    “We urge Nigerians, and the civil society, to be vigilant, to ensure that all votes are counted, and that all votes count in Edo State in September.” Sooner, these mostly unfounded allegations would be a daily ritual from the PDP headquarters in Abuja!
    Yet, air-minded Nigerians will attest to Buhari’s disinterest in electoral shenanigans. To him, the creators of the APC crisis in Edo should fix it, to win the poll. Otherwise, the PDP would, by now, be gnashing its teeth despite Obaseki’s awesome powers.
    So, the PDP leaders have nothing to fear, but their own devices of “imposing” new comers on long-suffering old members, “who do not partake in the “largesse new entrants normally bring along.”
    The omens for APC aren’t attractive for the September poll! But it can retrace its steps, unite and work to achieve success, and truly fulfil the ideal of the founding fathers as a “vehicle for positive change,” which the party’s current pilots have failed to uphold.
    It’s indisputable that the party is down politically, morally, and even financially, at least in Edo State where, save the crisis that engulfed the chapter, the state’s treasury is out of its reach.
    Obaseki has long closed that conduit he claimed was the source of the bitter struggle with his famed political benefactor, Oshiomhole, though Obaseki says he’s, indeed, Oshiomhole’s backbone.
    Thus, if the APC hasn’t proven its prowess in its Edo chapter since Oshiomhole’s suzerain in 2007, this is the time to demonstrate it by retooling its strategies, and mending fences with those sticking with the party. These majority loyal members, defectors and supporters mustn’t be neglected in favour of a rapacious few.
    * Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
  • Edo 2020: I’m not fronting for any candidate, I ‘m running to win – Hon. Agbonayinma

    Edo 2020: I’m not fronting for any candidate, I ‘m running to win – Hon. Agbonayinma

    …my mission is to ensure good governance for Edolites

    Former Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Nigeria/US Parliamentary ,Relations, Hon Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma on Sunday dismissed insinuations that he is fronting for a group of leaders or a particular candidate in the Edo guber Race.

    In a chat yesterday, the former Lawmaker and Edo guber aspirant declared that it is unthinkable for anybody to insinuate that he is fronting for a group of political leaders or a particular candidate.

    He said: I am in this race to win not to stand in for anybody, my numerous supporters should ignore such insinuations because I am in the race to win and showcase what is called good governance.

    The US trained former Lawmaker further explained why he’s in the race”because I have been consulting with all my supporters and critical stakeholders on my mission to Denis Osadebey House before the Covid-19 outbreak.

    E.J as he is fondly called gave a narrative on why he is eyeing Governor Godwin Obaseki’s job.

    “In the virtual conference I held with my Edo people I told them that the future of Edo is represented in who we are collectively. Edos of my generation, who work tirelessly to earn a living, striving to make Edo a better place for themselves and their families, and who are entitled to retire in comfort; Our youth who are endowed with fresh ideas, bubbling energy and a passionate desire for change – these are the hope of this State. Without you, we really cannot talk of a future with hope and confidence.

    “That is why the 2020 Gubernatorial election is about you, the good people of Edo State. It is about how to ensure that you live in a safe and secured environment. It is about making sure that you feed well, receive quality and affordable education and training, secure good jobs, support your own families and contribute positively to the development of our State.This is what a responsive and responsible government owes its citizens. This is what our generation owes upcoming generations. This is what we must do to guarantee our country’s future. This is what democracy promises. This is what our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), seeks to actualize.

    “Our party, the APC, at its inception offered great hope for many Nigerians, Edos inclusive, as a potent alternative to the PDP. We have in our fold selfless leaders who cherish democratic principles and practice and who have demonstrated their patriotism in deepening democracy and ensuring democratic dividends for all of our people.

    “Let me assure you that our party remains strong and capable of fulfilling our State’s thirst for change. And we shall do so united across tribes, religions and generations.

    “I am particularly proud that our party has adopted the innovative Modified Open Primaries in selecting its flag bearers at all levels. This will ensure the emergence of candidates whose mandate will be informed by the popular will of the members of our party.

    I” believe that it is the responsibility of my generation to offer our political shoulders to the new generation to climb upon, improve their vision and expand their horizon. It is this trans-generational collaboration and partnership that represents the best model to create the future that we desire and deserve. This is a well-tested model; the future of our State should never again be subjected to leadership experimentation.

    “My story is similar to the story of many in my generation. I was born in a small village of Evbowe-Isi, some 30 kilometers from Benin City, to a subsistence farmer father and a petty trader mother. I grew up as a farm hand. I had to work long hours on the farm, tapped palmwine and rubber before my parents could save enough to send me to school.

  • NBA Presidency 2020: Incumbent VP distances self from Egbe Amofin’s letter endorsing a candidate

    NBA Presidency 2020: Incumbent VP distances self from Egbe Amofin’s letter endorsing a candidate

    The drama building up to the national election of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is beginning to unfold to its peak following the recent denial of the knowledge of the endorsement of a particular candidate by the leadership of the Egbe Amofin by the incumbent second Vice President of the association, Dr. Foluke Dada.

    The Egbe Amofin is the umbrella body of lawyers from the South West (particularly Yorubas) extraction. TheNewsGuru.com reports that the NBA presidency returns to the South-West this year and already the duo of Dr. Babatunde Ajibade (SAN) and Dele Adesina (SAN) have signified interest to contest for the position.

    Recall that the Egbe Amofin had in December announced Adesina as its consensus candidate, saying the decision was taken at its meeting held at the Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) Bar Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan but Ajibade swiftly countered the decision saying he is not a party to it and also gave several reasons the process that led to the alleged endorsement cannot stand.

    Meanwhile, it was also recently alleged that the Egbe Amofin had written its Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) counterpart of its adoption of Adesina as its presidential candidate for the July election.

    It is in direct contrast to the foregoing that Dr. Foluke Dada, incumbent Second Vice President of the NBA and the most senior national officer from the West (South & Mid West), and a vested and key stakeholder of Egbé Amòfin O’òduà and the NBA politics decided to shed more light on the alleged endorsement and subsequent letter written to the EBF announcing same.

    Dada in an article published by TheNigerialawyer.com said while some members of the Egbe had stated their decision to support a particular candidate, however such decision is not binding on the Egbe and presenting it as such anywhere is nothing other than falsehood.

    Read her full article below:

    Re: The Purported Letter By Egbe Amofin To The Eastern Bar Forum By Dr. Foluke Dada

    I am indeed flustered to read on social media that a letter purportedly emanated from our esteemed Egbé Amòfin O’òduà claiming to endorse a single candidate from the Southwest.

    May I remind us all that Egbé Amòfin O’òduà is a common heritage of all legal practitioners of Yoruba descent – A crop of pioneer lawyers who have distinguished themselves throughout the history of Nigeria.

    It is in the spirit of this pedigree that I, Dr. Foluke Dada, incumbent Second Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association and the most senior national officer from the West (South & Mid West), and a vested and key stakeholder of Egbé Amòfin O’òduà and the NBA politics in my humble view, that I seek to correct the erroneous belief that an endorsement, approved by all members of Egbé Amòfin O’òduà or by any such Association from the West has taken place.

    I am indeed aware that a few members of Egbé agreed to endorse their preferred candidate but to announce it as the decision of all members of Egbé Amòfin O’òduà is ludicrous, if not misleading. This is not about any discord within or without any particular Forum. It is my considered view that leadership must start from within our different groups and reflect in the choices we make which ultimately will reflect in what we make of ourselves and the Bar in general.

    We must take a cue and indeed direction from the NBA Constitution of 2015 as amended in 2019 which abandoned the delegate system and instituted the universal suffrage process. This inevitably obliterate the practice of group adoption which does not in any way translate to votes!

    We must show leadership to our younger ones by example, not by dictatorship or by our insensitivity.

    I therefore urge the membership and leadership of the other Fora of the Nigerian Bar Association to keep an open mind and select our future leaders conscientiously. Leaders across the country must act ex propio motu, of their own accord,to choose our next leaders on the conviction that leadership is not by desperation but by your innate abilities to lead.

    The vicissitudes of our fortune in the politics of NBA will only be more alarming if we do not consider that our moral obligations, sense of fairness and fairplay will ultimately determine the quality leadership we acquire!

    Thank you.
    Dr. Foluke Dada

  • Bloomberg abandons White House race, declares support for rival candidate

    Michael Bloomberg has abandoned the 2020 White House race after a disastrous performance on Super Tuesday.

    He is now backing former Vice President Joe Biden who recorded stunning victories on Tuesday. He said Biden is the best candidate to defeat President Trump.

    The former New York Mayor called it quits despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars in advertisements.He was the fourth candidate to quit in the last 72 hours, after Pete Buttigieg, klobuchar and Tom Steyer

    “I’ve always believed that defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it. After yesterday’s vote, it is clear that candidate is my friend and a great American, Joe Biden,” he said.

    His statement:

    “Three months ago, I entered the race for President to defeat Donald Trump. Today, I am leaving the race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump – because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult.

    “I’m a believer in using data to inform decisions. After yesterday’s results, the delegate math has become virtually impossible – and a viable path to the nomination no longer exists. But I remain clear-eyed about my overriding objective: victory in November. Not for me, but for our country. And so while I will not be the nominee, I will not walk away from the most important political fight of my life.

    “I’ve always believed that defeating Donald Trump starts with uniting behind the candidate with the best shot to do it. After yesterday’s vote, it is clear that candidate is my friend and a great American, Joe Biden.

    “I’ve known Joe for a very long time. I know his decency, his honesty, and his commitment to the issues that are so important to our country – including gun safety, health care, climate change, and good jobs.

    “I’ve had the chance to work with Joe on those issues over the years, and Joe has fought for working people his whole life. Today I am glad to endorse him – and I will work to make him the next President of the United States.

    “I am immensely proud of the campaign we ran, the issues we raised, and the sweeping and achievable plans we proposed – including our Greenwood Initiative to right historic wrongs, fight racial inequality, and make the promise of equal opportunity real for the Black communities that have endured centuries of exploitation and discrimination. That work is fundamental to the future of our country – and to the more perfect union that each generation is called to build.

    “I am deeply grateful to all the Americans who voted for me – and to our incredibly dedicated staff and volunteers all around the country, who knocked on more than two million doors and held 12 million voter conversations in an incredibly short amount of time. No one outworked our team, and I couldn’t be prouder of everyone who was part of it. And I will be forever grateful to all the mayors, local and state legislators, Members of Congress, and many others who believed in me, endorsed my candidacy, and worked hard to unite voters around our vision. Your support and trust sustained me, and I look forward to working with you in the months and years ahead.

    “We made our campaign slogan a clear, simple promise: Mike will get it done. And I intend to keep working on the “it.” I will continue to work for sensible, common sense policy solutions that can get done. That includes passing gun safety laws that save lives. Fighting climate change. Improving health care. Making college more accessible and affordable. Creating economic opportunity for all. And helping mayors and local leaders across the country who are doing so much important work on all of these issues.

    “The past few months have been some of the most inspiring of my life, and I want to thank the tens of thousands of Americans, from Maine to California, whom I was privileged to meet – and who every day, with their voices and their ideas, made this campaign such a powerful experience. And I am intent on making it a lasting experience: I want my supporters to stay engaged, stay active and stay committed to our issues. I will be right there with you. And together, we will get it done.”

  • JAMB arrests another candidate for allegedly ‘upgrading’ UTME score

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has arrested a 19-year-old female candidate, Rejoice Mordi, for allegedly falsifying her 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) score from 164 to 264.

    Mordi was arrested in Abuja on Tuesday following an invitation by the board to its headquarters in Bwari.

    The father of the teenager, Frank Emordi, had petitioned the board for issuing her daughter two separate results from the same examination.

    The board recalled that upon receipt of the complaint, it invited the candidate to appear before it.

    JAMB’s Head of Information, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, stated this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

    Benjamin said the candidate confessed before the board that she got the fake UTME result from an agent, identified simply as IyanuOluwa, through a WhatsApp message and she wanted to see that it was changed on her UTME portal.

    According to Benjamin, the candidate from Delta State explained that she met the agent who collected her registration number and those of three other candidates.

    “The agent later sent a fake UTME result to Mordi’s phone,” Benjamin said in the statement.

    He added that the candidate had been handed over to “security agents for further interrogation aimed at revealing her collaborators”.

    The statement added: “The 19-year-old, who falsified her 2019 UTME result from 164 to 264, had petitioned for giving her two results in the 2019 UTME. The board, upon receipt of the complaint, invited the candidate who appeared before the board in company of her father, Frank Emordi.

    “The Registrar, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, read the riot act to the petitioner and her father and gave them a grace period to retrace their steps, knowing that there is forensic analysis that she falsified the score.

    “Upon the expiration of the opportunity, after a thorough examination of the evidences, the candidate owned up to her misdeeds. She said the agent sent the inflated result to her through a WhatsApp group, which she had deleted.

    “Checks by the board revealed that the candidate had made three successful attempts at checking her result. However, on the candidate’s dashboard, 164 score still remained. She had since been handed over to the security agents for further interrogation.”

    The candidate’s father appealed to the registrar for clemency.

    He said: “I talked to her (Rejoice) and she said a guy she met at the centre collected her registration number and three of her friends’. The man was the one who forwarded the results to them through WhatsApp. If she had informed me about that, I would not have followed her to the JAMB office.”